


Cultural Education

by Knitwritezombie (Missa_G)



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Books, Bromance, Gen, Male Friendship, Medical Inaccuracies, Past Barton & Coulson Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-01
Updated: 2014-05-01
Packaged: 2018-01-18 22:38:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1445419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missa_G/pseuds/Knitwritezombie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From this kink-meme prompt: Clint is grounded by illness/injury. Thor is reading the Twilight series and comes to Clint to explain the books.</p>
<p>When Clint recovers from that, he does explain them and then nudges Thor towards something better - all ranges, since books are a great way to get a handle on life on Midgard (Danny The Champion of the World, The Hunger Games, Salem's Lot, One Corpse Too Many, Game of Thrones series). Basically books he's read, and ones he gets recommendations on from the team and Fury and Hill.</p>
<p>He starts taking Thor out to places as well - minus the battle army and sentient hammer - like museums, shows, the park, churches. Even nightclubs (where Tony tags alone).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cultural Education

**Author's Note:**

> Not my first fic, but my first foray into this fandom.

Clint slowly swam into consciousness to the murmur of a familiar voice. He lay still for several minutes, focusing on breathing through the pain in his tight chest, trying to push away the nausea from the medication and ignore the throbbing in his arm. He felt like utter crap.

His last mission with SHIELD had not ended well. After spending a week hiding in a mold infested warehouse gathering intel on an emerging drug trafficking ring, he’d finally got authorization to proceed with taking out the major players. He did the job, and was making his way back to the safe house when he’d been hit by a trucker who hadn’t been paying attention and changed lanes right into Clint on a motorcycle. His protective gear and helmet had protected him from road rash and death, but he’d still landed a concussion, a broken arm, and broken ribs. 

Thanks to the mold and not being able to breathe all that deeply from the broken ribs, he’d ended up with a nice case of pneumonia on top of the injuries because this, apparently, was his life.

At least Medical had let him go back to the Tower rather than keeping him. Between his team and JARVIS, Clint had been able to convince the doctor that he’d not be left unobserved. They had reluctantly agreed, and Clint found himself back in his suite in the tower with an endless cycle of guests.

Clint’s breath caught in his chest and he coughed, long, hard, and painfully. His whole body ached with the force of it and his vision swam as he fought to expel the gunk in his lungs. He felt strong hands on his shoulders helping him to sit up. As the coughing slowed, Clint slumped forward, exhausted, his head landing against a shoulder as he tried to catch his breath in lungs that wouldn’t fully inflate. He couldn’t hold back the whine of pain and frustration that escaped as his stomach churned.

Something warm pressed against his un-casted hand and Clint took it, long fingers wrapping around his to help him steady the ceramic mug and guide it to his face. “Steve recommended you breathe as much of the steam as you can while it cools enough to drink,” Thor advised gently.

Clint obeyed, and the scent of mint helped to calm his stomach a bit. When the ceramic began to cool slightly against his palm, Clint sipped at the tea, finding it sweeter than he usually preferred, but grateful for it nonetheless. 

“Can you take some sustenance so I may distribute your medication?” Thor asked gently. “There is toast or broth.”

Clint finally cracked his eyes open, only to find a wall of dark blue henely. One of Thor’s large hands steadied him at his lower back as Clint sat back slightly. Never letting him go completely, Thor restructured the mound of pillows on Clint’s bed so he could sit at the angle that Bruce had recommended for better breathing. “Yeah,” he finally managed to say when he’s sitting as comfortably as possible.

Thor rewarded him with a smile, and rose, after checking that Clint had a secure grasp on the mug in his good hand. Clint tried to focus on the scent and flavor of mint as he listened to Thor move around Clint’s kitchen. None of his teammates had left him to fend for himself in the few days since he’d been allowed to return to the tower, but they weren’t smothering him, either. Other than when he’d first regained consciousness in Medical, they hadn’t all descended on him at once. Clint was grateful; they were a team, yes, but he could only take so much of them all together when he was 100%. 

Thor returned with a tray bearing a single slice of toast and a shallow bowl of clear broth, accompanied by the meds the docs had sent home with him and a tall glass of water. After settling the tray over Clint’s lap, the demi-god retreated to the recliner that had appeared next to Clint’s bed.

“Did I hear talking earlier?” Clint asked, wincing at the rough edge to his voice as he tore a piece of toast free.

“Aye, I was engaging this narrative in conversation,” Thor admitted a bit sheepishly, gesturing to the paperback spread over the arm of the chair. “It is a most confusing tale.”

“What are you reading?” Clint asked, popping the bite of dry toast into his mouth and chewing slowly.

“The tale of Isabella the human and Edward the vampire,” Thor declared.

Clint almost choked. “You’re reading _Twilight_?” he asked in clarification.

“Aye,” Thor answered, his confusion showing in that drawn together eyebrow thing he did when trying to make sense of something.

“Why?” Clint asked.

“I asked Tony for tales of adventure for this realm and he-“

Clint cut him off with a wave of his hand. “Next time, ask me. Stark’s messing with you.”

“Ah.” Thor said, nodding. “So my confusion over this narrative was not due to my misunderstanding Midgardian social norms?”

“Not _only_ because of that,” Clint said, smiling slightly. “That series was primarily written for teenage girls, so…” he shrugged one shoulder. “Also, just in case Tony has tried to convince you otherwise, there has never been conclusive evidence for the existence of vampires. Not here on Earth, anyway,” he said quickly, not knowing what Thor could have run into in the other realms.

“It made little sense that a predator would possess such an outer covering that would make them so easily identifiable to their prey,” Thor agreed. “I know of no predatory or dominant species which…sparkles.”

Clint laughed, then winced in pain.

Thor glanced pointedly at the untouched pills on Clint’s tray. If it wouldn’t have made his headache worse, he would have rolled his eyes. He slowly chewed another bit of toast before swallowing one pill with a large gulp of water.

“Have you read this tale?” Thor asked as Clint slowly chewed another bite.

He nodded. “I was stuck in a safe house with no electronics for a week,” he explained. He still felt he had to justify the fact that he’d read that series.

“Mayhap you can help me to understand this?” Thor asked.

“I can try,” Clint responded dryly.

“Why is this a story that appeals to young girls?” Thor asked, that wrinkle appearing between his eyes again. “To me, the lady Isabella is being hunted by a predator, and then ends up being manipulated by him.”

“Yeah,” Clint said, shifting slightly. “See…the character, Bella, she can be anyone, right? What appeals to the target audience is that they can put themselves in the shoes of Bella. It’s an escape fantasy, that if someone perfectly normal can find a prince charming, then they might, too.”

Thor looked skeptical. 

Clint waved his good hand. “Yeah, I know. But that’s the theory, anyway. Yes, I find Edward’s character to be creepy and manipulative, but apparently girls like it when it’s a hot vampire.” 

“Why?” Thor asked.

Clint took a slow breath instead of sighing, which he knew would only lead to coughing. “It’s like…okay. People, human people, want things they can’t have a lot of the time. There are a lot of stories about ‘star crossed lovers’ and girls falling for the bad guy or guys wanting the girl from the wrong side of the tracks.” He explained. “And Twilight is an example of that. A regular girl catching the eye of the forbidden creature, and they embark on this epic romance that leads to happily ever after.”

“My friend, I’m not sure I understand Midgardian females,” Thor said seriously, which set Clint laughing and coughing.

“Yeah,” he said, breathing hard. “Join the club.” Clint reached for the glass on his tray and sipped carefully.

Clint continued to answer Thor’s questions as he felt the meds kick in and he relaxed back against his pillows.

“What would you recommend I read next, then?” Thor asked as Clint began to feel his eyelids drop for longer and longer moments.

Thor’s introduction to television and films had gone over extremely well, but he was used to an active lifestyle, much like the rest of them, and wouldn’t or couldn’t sit still for longer than the space of a film at any one time. They had discovered that Thor’s fondness the Asgardian practice of oral tales had carried over into a willingness to read the ‘great tales of Midgard’ since he could consume them in small bursts.

Clint pushed at the tray, while he thought. While not what anyone would call conventionally educated, Clint had always been a reader; it was a way to stay quiet and out of the way, yet entertained at the same time when his father was…well. He’d never owned a large number of books until e-readers became accessible, simply due to space and his mobile lifestyle. “Have you read The Lord of the Rings yet?”

“No, though Tony keeps saying something about a marathon of something by the same title,” Thor responded, puzzled. 

“Yeah, they turned them into movies a few years back,” Clint explained, hearing his voice begin to slur slightly as he fought the tug of the meds; he wouldn’t be conscious for much longer. “You have your tablet?”

“Not with me, no,” Thor answered. 

“Take mine,” Clint said, his eyelids falling closed as he waved his good hand toward the bedside table where Stark’s answer to the iPad lay, along with his battered but well-loved Kindle. “Go through my library and pick out whatever looks interesting. Later, remind me to tell you about goodreads,” he mumbled.

Thor chuckled softly. “Sleep well, my friend. We shall talk more later.”

Clint couldn’t have disobeyed the advice if he’d wanted to.

**

Over the course of the next few days, Clint began to get up and move around a bit more, so he was curled up on one of the common room sofas with his tablet, browsing websites and poking at games while JARVIS ran through some of Clint’s DVR’d selections (which mostly consisted of bad reality television, a habit he’d developed thanks to Coulson) when Thor found him next.

“I understand now why Tony calls you ‘Legolas’,” Thor said by way of greeting.

“Did you finish all three books?” Clint asked, setting his tablet aside while JARVIS paused the playback at the interruption.

“Nearly,” Thor said. “You said they made this into one of your moving pictures? I would be interested in watching this epic to compare the two.”

“Tell Tony,” Clint said with a grin. “I’m not sure I’m going to be up for a movie marathon for awhile, but Steve would probably like it, too.”

“It can wait until you are healed, my friend,” Thor said with a small frown. 

“I’ve seen them before,” Clint assured Thor, though he did enjoy watching Steve and Thor become acculturated via films and television. Watching Star Wars with people who had never seen it before was awesome; Clint would never forget the looks on their faces when it was revealed that Luke and Leia were siblings and Vader was their father. Of course, never one to leave well enough alone, Tony had then shown them Spaceballs. He yawned and snuggled down a bit into the nest he’d built up. He was still spending more time dozing than anything else, though he’d been told he should be getting up to move around more once his fever had finally broken (and Christ was he looking forward to that, ‘cause this chills shit sucked).

“I should let you rest,” Thor said, shifting to rise.

“No, stay,” Clint said. “I’m mostly awake.”

Thor chuckled softly. “Indeed. Tell me about this ‘goodreads,’ then,” he said, drawing out his tablet.

“We’ve shown you the internet, right?” Clint asked, trying to remember.

“Yes. Tony showed me the Google, and Jane’s friend Darcy is quite fond of something called lolcats,” Thor explained.

“Right,” Clint said, grinning. “It’s a website. You can keep track of the books you read and find others that are similar. It’s like a virtual bookshelf, plus you can talk to other people about books and authors and stuff.”

“Indeed?” Thor seemed intrigued by the idea as he tapped the website in to his browser. “And you are a member?”

Clint nodded, coughing into a tissue. The gunk in his chest was starting to break up and it was miserably disgusting, not to mention painful on top of the broken ribs. “I’ll send you a request after you get your account set up,” he said after clearing his throat, slumping back into his nest of blankets and pillows and accepting the glass Thor handed him with a grateful smile, taking in Thor’s concerned frown.

“You don’t seem to be feeling better, my friend,” Thor said quietly, as he began to tap at the tablet once Clint was settled. 

Clint shrugged. “It’s a slow process,” he said, repeating what every physical therapist and doctor had told him over the course of the last fifteen years with SHIELD and the injuries inherent to that line of work. “It’s only been a little over a week. I am feeling a little better, it just takes time.” Of course, if he was better at taking the pain medication he’d been prescribed, he’d probably be feeling tons better. He just hated the floaty feeling from anything stronger than otc meds, which had been a bone of contention between him and the medical staff for years. 

“Natasha is a worthy opponent, as is Steve, but I fear I am learning their styles too easily,” Thor commented, which was probably as close as the demi-god would get to missing sparring with Clint. Then it hit him that Thor was probably bored. 

“Are you getting out of here at all?” Clint asked. “I mean, besides going to SHIELD, are you seeing the city, or anything?”

Thor shrugged. “Everyone else is busy.”

“Okay, no.” Clint fumbled in his blankets for his phone. “As soon as I’m free to get out of here, we’re going on a field trip,” he said. “Make a list of places you want to see. I’m gonna be off duty for awhile, so we may as well make the most of it.” He sent Natasha a quick text asking her to find Thor some new sparring partners, and see if there was a junior agent in need of some undercover training to take Thor off campus somewhere.

“I am—“

“Yeah, no, don’t,” Clint interrupted. “You’re going to tell me you’re fine, and you’re not. You shouldn’t feel like you’re trapped here.” He stopped to cough, groaning. “Dammit. Anyway, as soon as I’m cleared, we’re making a break for it. I haven’t spent as much time in the city as I’d like to either.”

“No?” Thor looked up, puzzled. 

“I was stationed at the west coast bureau,” Clint explained. Rent was still being paid on his flat in San Francisco, as a matter of fact. He should probably deal with that, since it looked like NYC was going to be his base for the foreseeable future. “I’ve visited, but usually on business without a lot of time for sight-seeing.”

“Then there are things you wish to see as well?” Thor said. “Then you must make your own list,” he declared with a nod. “Now, show me how to make this work,” he said, shifting over to sit next to Clint, positioning his tablet between them.

“Sure, Donald,” Clint said, noting that Thor was maintaining the civilian identity he’d adopted in New Mexico. He walked Thor through the process of adding books, and showed him how to follow up with the recommendations and adding things to his shelves to read. 

“Do you have any of these?” Thor asked, scrolling through his list of things to read. 

“Maybe,” Clint responded, calling up his library on his own tablet. The books he had, he shared, and then spent another half an hour showing Thor how to navigate Amazon (after establishing that Thor was getting a stipend from SHIELD and Tony had set him up with a credit card). 

“Agent Barton,” JARVIS interrupted as they were discussing the merits of Mercedes Lackey and Anne MacCaffrey. “It is time for your medication.”

“Thanks, JARVIS,” Clint responded.

“I shall retrieve it,” Thor declared, rising. “What do you wish to take it with?”

Clint grinned. “Are there any poptarts left?”

“Indeed!” Thor said brightly. He returned from the kitchen a moment later with two foil wrapped packets and the dose of medication that had been pre-sorted into a tray thingy. After handing things to Clint, Thor retook his seat in the loveseat adjacent.

“I get the convenience of this format,” Thor said, gesturing at the tablet. “But do you not miss the feel of the pages against your fingers and the weight of the tome in your hands? On Asgard, these are things to be shared, not hoarded, unless specialized.”

Clint nodded slowly. “Our first stop will be the library,” he answered. “But yeah, sometimes. I never had a lot of anything growing up, and my parents really didn’t see the value of books. Then in the orphanage, everything was shared with the other boys. And then in the circus, everything I had fit in a small duffel bag and had to stay that way. When we’d pass through towns, I’d check libraries for sales. Sometimes I’d be able to talk them into a swap if I didn’t have any money. I still have a few paperbacks hanging around somewhere. But, being with SHIELD means being completely mobile, so I’ve largely switched over to e-books.” 

Thor nodded his understanding. “It just seems odd to me that people can own these stories.”

“Are there no professional story tellers on Asgard?” Clint asked.

“Not of this type,” Thor said. “We have bards and balladeers, but stories like this are told orally and shared. History is archived, of course, but those stories are also passed down through song and story.”

“Yeah. People here make a living writing down the stories they make up. We buy them because that’s how the authors are able to buy the things they need to live,” Clint explained. “It’s a thing. There’s a whole industry based on entertainment and…yeah. Anyway,” Clint said. “We’ll go to the library first.”

“I look forward to it,” Thor said. “I interrupted your viewing.”

Clint shrugged again. “Sno big deal.”

“I shall finish this epic and keep you company, and then we may discuss it in full later,” Thor declared. “JARVIS?”

“Now resuming play,” the AI responded. Clint curled up into his blankets as the show picked up where it’d left off.

**

A week later, Clint was cleared to leave the tower and resume “light recreational activities,” which basically meant he could walk short distances but had to stay away from the gym, and he couldn’t shoot with his arm anyway. After breakfast, Clint went in search of Thor, who should have been just done sparring. “JARVIS, can you let Thor know I’m here?”

In response, the door slid open and Clint stepped through. “Thor?”

“Here,” the voice boomed from within. 

Clint followed it through, finding the demi-god with damp hair, dressed in jeans and a wife beater. “Get dressed,” Clint said. “We’re going out.”

Thor looked at him skeptically. “Have you been released for such activity?”

Clint rolled his eyes, then promptly coughed into one of the omnipresent tissues. “Yes,” he said after he cleared his throat. 

“We will have one of Tony’s drivers take us,” Thor said, his tone brokering no argument. “And I will decide when we return.”

“Sure thing, mom,” Clint drawled. 

Thor paused in pulled on a dark blue Henley and fixed his stare on Clint. “I only wish for you to continue healing.”

“I know,” Clint responded, “I just hate this.”

“I understand,” Thor said, finishing getting dressed. “You have been ill and you are injured, and you are not used to being idle. But if you push too hard now that you have been given permission to begin again, you will only end up worse.”

“I know,” Clint pouted.

Thor laughed. “You are not a child, Clint, and that expression hasn’t worked for me since Lo-my brother was a child.”

Clint’s grin softened. “You can say his name, Thor. He’s your brother, but I don’t hold you responsible for what he’s done. Come on,” he said. “Let’s go.”

“And to where are we venturing?” Thor asked as he grabbed a jacket in deference to appearance. 

“I think I promised you a trip to the library. JARVIS?” Clint asked as he led Thor out.

“Mr. Hogan will be waiting in a car downstairs,” the computer responded. “Sir has put him at your disposal.”

“Thanks, JARVIS,” Clint responded. 

Happy was waiting at the curb when they arrived in the lobby of the tower in one of the plain black sedans that Pepper preferred. The short walk from the elevator to the car had left Clint a little tired and slightly breathless, but he covered it. He gave Happy directions, and sat back to watch the city go by.

“Truly, you are well?” Thor asked, his voice gentle. 

Clint looked over to see Thor studying him curiously. “Well enough,” he assured, though he had a feeling that Thor would be more inclined to believe him if he hadn’t spent so much time downplaying his injuries.

“Then I am looking forward to this outing,” Thor said, turning away from his study of Clint’s face to the city crawling by through the car’s tinted windows. 

Clint was, too. It was the first time he’d been out of the tower other than to check in at SHIELD medical since his return from that last mission. And since he was benched for the time being, maybe he could revisit some old favorite books that hadn’t been converted to electronic format. “You start that list of other things you want to do?” He asked.

“Indeed,” Thor responded. “There are many famous sights, and Tony suggested that I also think about new food to try.”

“We can do that,” Clint agreed with a nod. He’d had his favorites from his time in San Francisco, but he hadn’t had the opportunity to really explore the city for replacements. They could all cook to some degree, and probably ate more take away than was strictly healthy. But Clint could do with some subtle food exploration (though really, if he couldn’t exercise the way he was used to, he was going to have to watch it; his metabolism was fast, but he was also used to burning most of the calories he consumed in the gym or on the range). 

“I look forward to it,” Thor said as the car pulled up to the library Clint had directed Happy to. 

“Call when you’re ready to be picked up,” Happy said.

“Thanks,” Clint said, sliding out of the car behind Thor. He looked at the steps leading up to the building’s entrance with a small sense of dread. 

“Come, my friend,” Thor said warmly, placing a large hand at Clint’s back. “We shall go slow and find epic tomes from which we shall share stories and be entertained.”

Clint had to smile as he slowly mounted the stairs, not bothering to mention that there was an elevator around the corner. He could handle one flight of stairs. 

Or so he thought. He was breathing heavily when they reached the top, and he stopped to catch his breath, Thor waiting patiently at his side. It seemed to take awhile, but at least he wasn’t coughing on top of it. “Okay,” he said, when he got his breath back, and led Thor inside. 

Clint got no small amount of joy watching Thor just take in the atmosphere of the space. It was one of the smaller libraries in the city, but Clint got the distinct impression that Thor was honestly impressed. “You don’t have places like this where you’re from?” Clint asked.

“You say this is a small one? And there are many such places in this city alone?” Thor asked, his tone hushed in reverence as he glanced around. 

“Yup. Though they probably have a lot of the same things,” he responded. “We can check out others. If you like this, you’re going to love the main branch,” he said, clapping Thor on the shoulder, already making plans for when he was closer to one hundred percent.

They stopped first at the desk and they both filled out the paperwork for new library cards. Based on what Thor had already been reading, Clint led him off toward the appropriate section. “There’s a more technical way to do this,” Clint explained, waving toward the computers that contained the library catalog. “But I like it this way. Just browsing through to see what catches my eye. If you don’t find anything, we can try it the other way.”

Thor nodded and they set off to browse the stacks. Eventually, they got separated, but Clint wasn’t worried about either of them getting into any real trouble. They both had phones provided by Stark (which Clint had reminded Thor to put on silent), and it wasn’t like Thor was hard to find.

Clint found a section that contained several of his favorite authors and settled down on the floor, pulling several books from the shelves to review dust jackets and covers. As he did, his breath caught, and he did his best to muffle the resulting cough in his elbow. He started to panic when it didn’t seem to stop and he couldn’t catch his breath. He fumbled with his phone, but before he could even get it unlocked, Thor was kneeling at his side. 

“Clint?”

His eyes were screwed shut in pain, but he felt Thor’s hands on his shoulders. “Your lips are turning blue, my friend. I think we should go.”

Clint nodded, fighting back panic. “SHIELD,” he gasped.

“Indeed,” Thor agreed, and Clint felt himself being lifted. If it had been anyone else, if he hadn’t been so close to overwhelming panic and in immense pain, he’d have protested, vigorously. But as he couldn’t catch his breath and was beginning to feel dangerously light headed he let himself be carried. 

“Mr. Hogan, we require your services,” Clint heard Thor say, and then the world went black.

**

Clint came to with an oxygen mask covering his face and the familiar tug of an iv in the back of his hand.

“And he awakes!” Thor declared softly. “How do you fare?”

“Crappy,” Clint rasped. “What happened?”

“You over did it,” Bruce said flatly, and Clint glanced over to see him holding onto Clint’s chart at the foot of the bed. “You passed out in the library.”

“Huh.” Clint shifted his gaze around the room, spying Natasha in the corner, watching him intently. “Tash?”

She muttered a few curses and called him a stupid idiot in Russian while rolling her eyes and crossing the room. “They’re keeping you overnight. You’ve got a low grade fever again and you aggravated your ribs, so they want to keep you as immobile as possible for a day and help you relax. Steve’s bringing over a set of clothes and your tablet, and we’ve ordered in lunch,” she said, perching on the edge of his bed. 

“Nevertheless, you are to rest,” Thor said. “Tony will be here later, as well, and he and Steve together will not cause a restful environment.”

Bruce snorted indelicately, which made Clint smile. It was kind of the understatement of the year. 

They were interrupted by the nurse coming in to check on Clint, and he found himself drifting slightly on the tide of exhaustion and pain meds. “Once your sats come back up we’ll be able to get rid of that mask,” the nurse advised, and Clint nodded slightly. “But the iv stays in,” she said pointedly. “I know how you are with pain medication, and obviously you’ve been living up to the hype.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Clint mumbled.

She patted the hand that didn’t contain the iv and let herself out.

“I have a meeting,” Natasha said, sliding off the bed. “Try to stay out of trouble for a few hours?”

Clint just rolled his eyes and nodded as Bruce replaced his chart in the rack. “I need to go too, but I’ll be back for lunch,” Bruce said, following Natasha out.

It was quiet in the room for a few minutes, until Clint shifted to look at Thor. “You don’t have to stay,” he said.

“No,” Thor agreed. “But I don’t need to be anywhere else.”

“I’m sorry you didn’t get your books,” Clint said.

“Ah, but I did,” Thor said. “Mr. Hogan went back once we had been delivered, and he gathered the stacks of books we had both made and taken them back to the tower. Except for one,” Thor said, holding up a battered paperback.

“Wha’s that?” Clint asked, his eyes drifting shut.

“James and the Giant Peach,” Thor read the title. “A children’s tale, I’ve gathered, but it sounded most excellent. Have you read it?”

“Long time ago,” Clint responded. 

“Then let us pass this time together in story,” Thor said, as he opened the book and began to read.

Clint laid back and let Thor’s deep voice and story-telling cadence weave the story.

**

The trip to the library put Clint back on medical restriction to the Tower for another week. He and Thor finished reading James and the Giant Peach, and Thor took it upon himself to go back to the library for more Roald Dahl books, and took it upon himself to read to Clint; Clint was under no illusions that Thor was doing anything other than making sure he rested and followed doctors’ orders.

Clint, then, returned the favor by showing Thor the different film adaptations of the books. Thor enjoyed the animation of James and the Giant Peach, and a double feature of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory led to an hour long debate over which film was better (Clint had fond memories of the original from his childhood, a rare trip out to the movies from the orphanage, but the Johnny Depp version was truer to the book).

Once he had a full week without a fever under his belt, medical cleared him to leave the Tower again. He still had a couple of weeks before he’d get the cast off his arm, but the bed rest had helped his ribs continue to heal. Once Thor had been convinced that yes, medical had released him, they went over their lists of places to visit. Thor’s list also included various things that he’d heard of via Tony or the television, like nightclubs, performance venues, and retail outlets (Clint made a note to never tell Tony they were going to the Apple Store, at least, not until the billionaire really pissed him off).

Thor, taking medical’s instructions seriously, insisted on short outings at first. It took them nearly three weeks to get through the Museum of National History; Thor would only allow them to hit one exhibit per day, followed by a late lunch based on the list of places that Clint had drawn up (Thor was pretty much up for trying any type of food). Afternoons and evenings were spent lounging around the Tower, or, once Clint’s cast had come off, doing PT. As Thor become more convinced that Clint wasn’t going to pass out somewhere (and barring emergencies that required them to save the world once Clint was fully cleared for duty), they starting planning longer outings.

One particular trip was when the entire team ended up at a nightclub. Clint’s memories of that night were a bit hazy, though he recalled dancing with Nat, Thor, and somewhat surprisingly, Bruce. 

After that, at least one other of the team would regularly join Thor and Clint as they continued to explore their new home city, or took it upon themselves to introduce Thor to various aspects of life on Midgard. Natasha took Thor to the ballet, since Clint, though capable of sitting for hours upon end in a nest for a target, had little patience for that particular art form. Steve accompanied them to the MOMA, and Clint had needed to practically drag the super soldier away with promises to return.

Bruce introduced Thor to the concept of farmer’s markets, which led to each of them taking a turn to cook their favorites (except for Tony, who ordered his favorite take out). They would trade stories over plates of Clint’s mushroom risotto, Natasha’s macaroni and cheese, Bruce’s Thai style curry, and Steve’s meatloaf. Once Thor mastered working the appliances, he treated them to what he called a “roast beast” dinner, which JARVIS had helped him to plan and prepare. 

Thor and Steve went with Clint to pack up his apartment outside San Francisco, over Tony’s protests that he could just have someone do it for him. There wasn’t much he wanted; he didn’t have a lot of furniture or clothes, but he had a few precious items from his past that he wanted to hold on to. He figured his landlord could rent the place furnished. Tony gave in, but only after Clint agreed to take one of his private jets instead of a SHIELD transport as he’d planned. 

Slowly, they were merging into more than just a team.

**Author's Note:**

> see me on tumblr: knitwritezombie.tumblr.com


End file.
